


Stay With Me

by Stargazer19



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Adopted AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dad David, F/M, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Injured David, Mom Gwen, PROTECTIVE DAVID, Protective Gwen, Protective Max, Storm - Freeform, dadvid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 10:25:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14494908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargazer19/pseuds/Stargazer19
Summary: For all the shit Max likes to give David, he doesn’t actually hate him. Sure, he’s an over-optimistic, hippy, dumbass that can’t seem to understand the fact that the world’s not perfect, there will always be someone who will screw you over, and we’re all going to die one day, but David makes it bearable. No one else cared about him like he did.





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after the Parent’s Day episode in Camp Camp. David adopts Max after finding out about Max’s neglect and Gwen is unofficially his Mom.

 

 

“Good morning campers! Isn’t today just a beautiful day?” David greeted from the kitchen the campers as they entered the Mess Hall for breakfast.

Max was bored as he slowly ate his mashed potatoes and coffee. Nikki was shoveling as much food as she could in her mouth and Neil was halfheartedly poking at his potatoes while he chewed an apple.

“I have a fun activity for us planned today! The weather forecast for tonight mentioned there will be a big storm, so I thought we could go on a refreshing morning hike, picnic in the forest and then return to camp before the storm hits to watch a movie here in the Mess Hall. We’ll all meet out front once you’re ready to go!”

Half the campers groaned at that.

“How exciting! We get to go on a quest! Maybe I’ll get the chance to cast a weather charm if the storm catches up with us before we get back!” Nerris exclaimed.

Nikki was jumping up and down in her seat.

“Ooo! Maybe we’ll get to see a bear! Or a snake! Or a wolf!”

Neil and Max looked at her in bewilderment.

“No way! The last thing I want to do today is encounter a wild animal and almost die. Haven’t we had enough stupid shit happen to us?” Neil glared at his plate.

Max rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. Camp’s been boring lately anyway since that shit-stain Campbell was arrested. I wouldn’t mind watching someone get mauled for entertainment.”

He carried his tray off to the kitchen and placed it in the sink.

“Hiya, Max! Are you excited to go hiking today?” David ruffled Max’s hair.

Max glared at him and knocked his hand away.

“Yeah, David I am so fucking excited to go hiking. You know what? I hope when we go camping today you get mauled by bears. Then I won’t have to put up with your annoying attitude for a while.”

Max grimaced as David chuckled at his threat.

“You just need to experience it first and then you’ll love hiking. I was the same way you know?”

“You told me that story before. God, you’re so fucking annoying.”

Max rolled his eyes and walked out of the kitchen with his hands in his hoodie pocket.

 

* * *

 

 

Everyone finished up eating breakfast and soon, set off on the hiking trail. Gwen and David were leading the group with Max and friends trailing behind the rest. They walked like that through the forest for several hours. The further they went, the more the path inclined higher and broke for lunch beside a large, fast-moving river.

“Okay, everyone! Let’s go ahead and set up for lunch here! Nikki, can you help me lay down the blankets? Nerris and Harrison could you guys help Gwen prepare the sandwiches?”

David slung his backpack to the ground and pulled out several thin blankets. Nikki yelled in joy as she lunged at the pile and popped out with a blanket over her head. Nerris and Harrison pulled out the ingredients and started making sandwiches with Gwen. Everyone else situated themselves on the blankets as Nikki and David laid them flat.

Neil, Nikki, and Max were all chatting quietly together at one of the blankets. Max turned to ask David if they were going to do anything else in the area when he noticed David and Gwen muttering softly together by the river while looking concerned. Max quietly approached them while trying to listen in.

“..should get going. I don’t like the look of those clouds.” Gwen murmured.

She glanced back at the path as if trying to gauge in her mind the fastest way back. David continued to frown at the clouds.

“This must be a fast-moving storm. I saw the Altocumulus clouds as we were leaving. They generally indicate thunderstorms 6-12 hours before they occur but it’s only been 4. We shouldn’t be seeing Nimbostratus clouds yet.”

“Since when could you read clouds?”

David startled at Max’s voice. He relaxed a little when Max’s face only showed grudging curiosity.

“It’s important as a camper to be able to read the clouds in order to determine storms or other weather patterns. Nimbostratus clouds are those dark gray clouds you always see before a heavy rain. In general, clouds that are low to the ground are more likely to signify rain or storm conditions. I’ll have to teach you guys these signs the next time there is a storm coming. I can’t show you the warning clouds since they are already gone.”

Max frowned. For once, that might actually be a useful camp activity. He’d certainly use that more often than fishing or tying knots.

“So, you’re admitting that you fucked up and we need to get back to camp as soon as possible or we’re going to be caught in some God-forsaken storm?”

David winced at the phrasing.

“I wouldn’t say it like that. No one can predict nature accurately, I just thought we had more time to make it back.”

Max raised a brow at him.

“So, you fucked up.”

David sighed, “Alright yes, I made a mistake. We need to start packing up though. The wind is starting to pick up already and I’d like to make it back before it starts to rain.”

David clapped his hands together.

“Okay everyone, we are going to need your help packing up. The storm is catching up with us right now and we need to hurry if we want to get back before it hits.”

The other kids looked up at the sky before clambering to gather everything together.

As they Nikki and Neil getting up, the wind picked up their blanket and blew it in Max’s face. Max flinched when the blanket hit him and stumbled backward before falling into the river.

“MAX!” David cried out as Max went under. Max wrestled the blanket off him and resurfaced but the river was already carrying him away.

“DAVID!” Max screamed.

“Get the kids back to camp Gwen! I’ll rescue Max!” David didn’t wait for a reply as he chased after him.

 

Max struggled to keep his head above water. He was starting to tire and it didn’t help that his hoodie was dragging him down. As he coughed out water, he saw David falling further and further behind.

“Max! Try to swim towards the bank! Don’t swim against the current, you’ll tire yourself out! Once you’re close enough to the bank I’ll grab you!”

Max wasn’t sure how he’d do that but he trusted that David wouldn’t let him drown and started paddling for the bank. He wasn’t able to get very close though as the current was too strong. David chucked his bag to the side and dived into the water.

“DAVID!” Max yelled in fear.

 He watched as David swam strongly towards him and maneuvered Max to his back so that he could use both hands to swim to the bank. Max was exhausted and held on with no complaint. David’s arms churned through the river until he finally pulled them onto the bank. The two collapsed on the ground, coughing out some of the water they accidentally swallowed.

“Are you alright, Max?” David rubbed Max’s back as he continued to cough.

Max was trembling with terror, cold, and exhaustion.

“W-what the fuck do you think you m-moron? I almost fucking d-drowned!”

David picked up Max in a piggyback carry. Max didn’t try to fight it. It felt nice that David cared enough about him to put his comfort first. David walked back in the direction they came from. Max tiredly burrowed his face into David’s shoulder.

“Why are we heading back up? Camp’s the other way dumbass.”

David glanced at Max for a moment before scanning the trees to the side of the river.

“I was carrying my pack with me when I ran after you. The river carried us pretty far out from the path so I want to find the pack since we’ll probably get caught in the storm. I have food, water, and some raincoats in there.”

David carried Max in silence as they made their way back up the river. It took them 15 minutes to find the pack and by then, the forest was starting to get dark. He could see the rain was still several yards away but knew that their best option would be to head in the direction of camp while looking for something that could act as a shelter.

 

* * *

 

 

Max woke up to the feeling of light tapping on his shoulder.

“The fuck?” Max rubbed his eyes with his hands.

He realized he was still being carried by David, but he was also sitting in a sling made from a garish yellow raincoat. David had taken to carrying his pack in his arms.

“Put me down jackass. How long was I asleep for?”

Max slid down from David’s back and glared at the ground in embarrassment. He was relieved when David made no mention of it.

“A little over an hour. We are about halfway back to camp but it’s starting to drizzle. You should put this raincoat on.”

Max took the bright yellow raincoat from him and slipped it on. It was getting cold from the wind. David slung the pack on his shoulders after putting on a similar raincoat himself.

“Stay away from the trees okay? They can act like lightning rods so follow the middle of the path as best as possible.”

David put an arm around Max’s shoulder and gently pushed him forward, Max swatted his hand away but started moving in the direction David had indicated.

“This hiking trip has been nothing but absolute shit. I can’t believe you thought it would be a good idea.”

David sighed,” I’m sorry this happened. I should’ve known better than to try to go hiking before a storm. I can’t believe a put you all in danger like that.”

Max frowned. He hated it when David berated himself like that.

“Whatever, you dumb shit. Like you said earlier you didn’t know.”

David gave Max a small smile.

“Thanks.”

Max turned red at the sincerity in his voice.

“I only said that because you’re an annoying piece of shit when you’re sad.”

David chuckled, “I know that’s Max-speak for ‘I don’t like seeing you upset.’”

Max sputtered, “Don’t read into it! You’re deluding yourself!”

Max darted forward in an attempt to put some distance between himself and David, as David tried to ruffle his hair. Just as he did that though, lightning struck a tree off to the side. The two flinched and covered their eyes from the proximity of the flash of light.

_CRACK!_

Max looked up at noticed the upper half of the tree falling right where he was standing.

“MAX!”

_THUMP!_

Max groaned as he was shoved backward and landed hard on his rear, eyes clenched in pain. He rubbed his butt as he stood up, opened his eyes and saw the mass of tree branches on the ground in front of him.

“Fuck, that almost killed me! Dammit, David this adventure really takes the fucking cake!”

Max frowned when he didn’t reply.

 “David?”

His eyes widened. He rushed towards the tree and started showing branches out of the way.

“David?!” Max called again. Yet again, no one answered.

Max could feel tears welling in his eyes as he pulled more branches away and got closer to the trunk of the tree. Finally, he could barely make out a bright yellow raincoat in front of the trunk.

“David? You fucking bastard, you better answer me!”

Max started pulling at the branches covering David, trying to break them off so he could see him better. After a couple attempts, Max was able to bend enough to uncover David’s head. He was lying unconscious on the left side of his face. The back and side of his head were sticky with blood and his legs were trapped under the trunk of the tree. The tree wasn’t very big but it was too heavy for Max to move. Max could feel tears slipping down his cheeks as he smacked David’s cheek a couple times but he still didn’t wake. The rain started to come down harder. Max huddled against David’s unconscious body and sobbed.

“You can’t fucking leave me, David! You promised when you adopted me that you wouldn’t leave me like my shitty parents did! You can’t break your fucking promise, you hear me, David?!”

Max tried shaking him but he still wouldn’t wake up. He put his hand to David’s mouth, feeling David’s warm breath on his freezing wet hand. It was the only assurance he had that David was alive.

“You’re the only one who fucking cares about me. You can’t leave me alone, Dad…”

 

* * *

 

 

Max wasn’t sure how long he sat there with David. It was really dark out due to the thick storm clouds. He had gotten colder as the rain turned into a downpour and had pulled out the two spare blankets from the picnic. He wrapped himself in one underneath his raincoat so it wouldn’t get wet, and then tried his best to shove another underneath David’s coat to keep him warm. David was freezing and as more time passed, Max started to become more panicked that David wouldn’t make it. He had also found some bandages in the backpack that he used to wrap David’s head wound. It had taken a while for Max to get it to stop bleeding. The rain prevented the gash from clotting and the bandages kept slipping from David’s wet hair. He had to put pressure on it and winced when David whined in pain. It wasn’t enough to wake him up though. Finally, the rain started to let up.

Max clutched a flashlight to his chest as he stared reached a hand out to check on Davis again. He was still breathing but it was weak and shallow. David was icy cold from the rain and from lying on the ground for so long. Max smacked David’s cheek again and jumped when he got a groan in response.

“David?!”

David’s eyes fluttered and he cracked them open.

“W-what? M-Max?” He whispered.

Tears formed in Max’s eyes again as he was hit with an overwhelming sense of relief and joy.

“DAVID!” Max hugged David’s head tightly.

David winced at the shout. He tried to push himself up but was gently held down by Max.

“Don’t move you fucking bastard! A fucking tree fell on your sorry ass and your legs are stuck in the trunk.”

David sighed and went limp.

“A-are you okay?”

Max glared at him.

“Why are you worried about me? You’re the self-sacrificial asshole who pushed me out of the way. I seriously thought you were dead when you wouldn’t respond!”

David opened his eyes partially and glanced up at Max.

“You didn’t a-answer my question.”

“…I’m fine. Just fucking cold.”

David frowned when he noted Max was shivering.

“Leave m-me here, Max. Get back to camp and then you c-can send Gwen or someone to come get me. You’re g-going to get sick.”

Max shook his head.

“You idiot! If I leave you alone you’ll probably get attacked by a wild animal or something! Where’s your phone? I couldn’t get it wherever it was and I can call Gwen to come get us.”

David shakily lifted a hand and brought it to the pants pocket on the opposite side of Max. He managed to get it out of the pocket but couldn’t lift it up. Max reached between a couple branches and grabbed it. While the screen was cracked it still worked. He pulled up David’s speed dial and clicked on Gwen’s name.

_“David?! Where the fuck are you? Why aren’t you at the camp yet?!”_

“Gwen! Shut the fuck up! I need you to get help. David is trapped under a fucking tree and we are still an hour away from camp.”

Max heard her suck in a breath.

_“Goddammit! How injured is he?”_

Max bit his lip.

“He got hit on the back of his thick-ass skull and the tree landed on his legs. He’s really cold too. I don’t know how much longer he’s going to last out here.”

Max glanced at David, who was lying on the side of his face with his eyes closed.

“David! Wake the fuck up! You can’t fall asleep!”

Gwen cursed again over the phone.

_“I already called a search and rescue. They went looking for you guys half an hour ago. You’ve been missing for four hours now. Just stay put and shout for help every now and then. With how bad the storm was, you probably don’t have to worry about any wild animals but be careful not to make too much noise regardless.”_

“Thanks, Gwen. I’m glad you’re here.” Max could feel his throat getting clogged with emotion.

_“Keep him awake for me okay squirt? I can’t run this camp without him.”_

He chuckled wetly.

“Bye.”

Max hung up and put the phone in his pocket. He turned back to David, who still had a far-away look in his eyes.

“David, I need you to stay with me okay?”

David blinked a couple times and his eyes refocused on Max.

“Okay, anything for you Max.”

Max felt a lump in his throat.

“Anything? Then you better fucking survive this okay? Promise me you won’t fucking die!”

Max grasped David’s hand in his own.

“I promise. I’m so glad you're safe.” David smiled.

“Why do you care about me so much?”

David frowned.

“What do you mean, Max?”

Max could feel the tears burning in his eyes again.

“Why do you c-care so much about me? My p-parents didn’t fucking want me because I was a burden to them! I was such an a-asshole to you during camp, and yet you still w-wanted me when no one else did. What do you see in me that makes you think you should waste your s-stupid feelings on me?”

David lifted his hand out of Max’s hold and placed it on his head. He slowly petted Max.

“You’re a good kid, Max. Your parents were pieces of shit who didn’t deserve you. I love you, Max. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re happy. I’ll make up for everything they did to you because you are my son.”

Max sobbed loudly at David’s words.

“I love you too, Dad.”

David wiped the tears from Max’s eyes. His hand was shaking and he slowly lowered it to the ground. Max grabbed it with an urgency he’d never felt before.

“Dad! Stay awake! Please!”

David smiled at him.

“I love you so much.”

He whispered before his eyes closed again.

“DAD!”

Max started smacking his cheek again.

“Wake up! W-wake up! W-wake u-up!”

David’s breath was getting really shallow.

“SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP ME!” Max screamed as loud as he could.

“PLEASE! I NEED HELP!”  
“ANYONE!”

A loud thrumming noise kicked up nearby. He looked up and saw a bright light combing the forest before alighting on their huddled figures. Max clung to David as a group of men burst through the trees.

“Hey, kid?”

Max looked up at the man who had kneeled down beside him.

“We are here to help. We need to get you two to the hospital but I’m gonna need you to move alright?”

Max nodded. He reluctantly let go of David and made no protest when he was picked up and carried up the helicopter by another rescue squad member. While he was carried up the rope ladder, Max watched as the remaining members worked together to lift the tree off of David.

 

* * *

 

 

Max couldn’t stop staring at David’s prone form on their way to the hospital. The EMTs had notified Gwen that they had been found and that David was in critical condition. He was suffering from hypovolemic shock from the blood loss, hypothermia from the rain combined with the loss of blood, broken legs, cracked ribs, and a gash on the back of his head. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Max was seated next to David, wrapped in a blanket and an IV in his arm. He only suffered from slight hypothermia and dehydration.

When they arrived at the hospital, Max threw a fit as they wheeled David into surgery. He was inconsolable until Gwen arrived in the ER waiting room. She held him close as they waited for news on David.

“He’ll be alright Max. He’s stronger than he looks. Besides, he’s dedicated the rest of his life to making you happy. He knows that you need him so of course, he’ll be fine.”

Max burrowed his face into her shoulder. He couldn’t find the energy to cry anymore.

“I can’t lose him, Gwen. He’s the only fucking family I have.”

Gwen’s arms tightened around him.

“You won’t lose him. You gotta believe in him. The next time he wakes up, he’ll be that insufferably cheery guy who believes in the best in everything.”

They sat together for hours until a doctor walked into the waiting room.

“I’m looking for the family of David?”

Gwen and Max jump up from their seats.

“We’re here for David! How is he?”

Gwen clasps Max’s hand in hers and Max squeezes it in return.

“David was in critical condition when he arrived. However, we were able to successfully treat his injuries. He’ll be out of it for a couple days due to his pain medication and he’ll need to refrain from physical activity for a couple months but all-in-all he’ll make a sound recovery.”

The two sighed in relief.

“He’s been placed in room 279 of the ICU for now. He’ll be moved after a couple days when we know he’s out of the woods for sure.”

Max couldn’t restrain a soft chuckle and the camping idiom. Gwen thanked the doctor and led Max up to David’s room.

“Now Max, I know you’re not going to want to leave David alone and I need to head back to camp. Is there anything you want me to bring when I come visit tomorrow?”

Max was thankful that Gwen was so understanding.

“Can you bring Mr. Honeynuts and a couple changes of clothes? Oh, David will want his guitar and I want some paper and some color pencils as well.”

Gwen rubbed Max’s hair.

“Gotcha squirt. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Max climbed into David’s bed as Gwen left. He had to be careful of David’s legs, which were in casts and suspended from the ceiling, as well as the tubes that were connected to his arm and oxygen mask on his face. He curled up under the blankets against David’s side and fell asleep, knowing that David would be okay.

 

* * *

 

 

Max woke up to the sound of knocking the next morning. He blearily rubbed his eyes as a nurse came in.

“Good morning, Max! How are you feeling today?”

Max glared at the woman.

“Just peachy. I almost fucking drowned yesterday, got stuck in the fucking storm for hours and had to deal with the emotional fucking trauma of thinking my Dad was going to die.”

The nurse chuckled nervously.

“I meant in regards to your recovery from hypothermia and exhaustion.”

Max flipped her off. The nurse sighed and went to check on David’s vitals.

“What are you doing anyway?”

The nurse didn’t look up from her clipboard.

“I am writing down his vitals in order to keep a log of his recovery. I’m going to wake him up so he can eat something. What would you like from the Cafeteria? They can make you pancakes, omelets or muffins.”

Max’s eyes lit up.

“Pancakes and muffins! With hash browns and coffee!”

The nurse wrote it down before she gently shook David’s shoulder.

“David? Time to wake up!”

David grunted and his eyes fluttered open.

“What?”

His eyesight was blurry but he could make out a mop of dark hair and a blue hoodie.

“Max!”

David tried to sit up, wincing in pain when it put pressure on his cracked ribs.

“Don’t try to get up, David. You cracked your ribs when the tree fell on you.”

The nurse helped David lay back. Max was too choked up with emotion to reprimand him. David’s eyesight cleared up after he blinked a couple times and furrowed his eyebrows in worry when he saw Max.

“Are you okay, son?”

The nurse snuck out of the room when Max started to sob.

“You fucking dumbass! Don’t you ever fucking do that again!”

Max carefully hugged David and cried into his hospital gown. David smiled softly and combed his hair with his hand.

“You scared the fucking shit out of me. I thought you were going to die after you stopped talking and I was so sure that you would be dead by the time help arrived. You even made Gwen cry!”  
David pulled Max close to him.

“I’m sorry I worried you both. I saw the tree falling towards you and just reacted. You mean so much to me Max and I’d do anything to protect you.”

Max sniffed and clenched David’s gown tighter.

“Gwen’s supposed to come by sometime today. She’s bringing us some stuff since you’ll be here for a while. You’re not allowed to do anything considered physical activities for couple months. It’s a good punishment since that means you can’t do most camping activities for a while.”

David chuckled.

“I can still supervise! I’ll need an assistant though if you want to help. That way we can still participate in activities together.”

Max laughed.

“I take it back. I missed you more when you were asleep.”

The two started laughing together until David’s ribs hurt too much and he started coughing. Max worriedly hovered over David until he reassured him he was fine. There was knocking on the door again and they were surprised to see Gwen poke her head in.

“David! You’re awake!” She ran up to the bed and carefully hugged the two.

“Hiya, Gwen! It’s lovely to see you!” David greeted.

Max rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Gwen? Where’s the shit you promised to bring?”

Gwen was happy to see that Max was acting more like his old self.

“I left it in the hall in case you guys were still sleeping. I brought everything you asked for as well as a couple other things.”

David and Max looked at each other in surprise before watching Gwen carry in a large bag and the guitar around her shoulder.

“My guitar!” David cheered.

“I also brought the change in clothes, your bear, and…” She plopped the bag on a chair by the window.

“The kids made get well cards for you both!”

She pulled out to stacks of cards, neatly bundled with a rubber band. She handed one to Max and the other to David. They unwound the rubber bands and flipped through to see handmade cards from everybody. Max felt a rush of affection when he saw his best friends’ cards. Nikki had glued sticks and leaves into a stick figure of the trio as well as Gwen and David like a family while Neil had drawn out a similar design but with color pencils and a note wishing them well. He looked up at David and saw he had tears in his eyes from the gesture of his own cards. Gwen dug out some clothes and Mr. Honeynuts and handed them to Max. When Max walked out of the bathroom after changing, they heard another knock at the door.

The nurse walked in and smiled when she saw Gwen.

“Good morning miss! I’m David’s nurse. How are you doing?”

The nurse pulled over a tray on wheels and placed Max’s breakfast on it. She also placed a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water on the tray as well, which Max assumed was David’s meal. Gwen shook her hand.

“I’m Gwen and I’m doing much better now that they’re alright. How long do you think it’ll be before David can get discharged?”

The nurse looked at his chart.

“I’d say a week and then we can be released as long as he stays in a wheelchair and takes it easy.”

Everyone was relieved at that. Max climbed up the bed and pulled the tray close. He placed David’s on his lap and then dug into his own with gusto. David tried to lift up his spoon but he was still shaky from the day before. Gwen took the spoon from David’s hand and held it up to his mouth. David look astonished before he accepted her help. Max sent her a knowing look to which she responded with a wink. They both knew David would be too dense to figure the gesture out on his own. The nurse left after putting more painkiller in the IV.

Gwen helped David finish the last of his oatmeal and the three chatted until David dozed off from the medication.

“You know you’re going to have to straight out say it if you want him to know you like him. “

Gwen ruffled his hair.

“Duh, but that’s what I like about him. Do you want the paper and color pencils now that he’s asleep?”

Max nodded. He wanted to make David a get-well card as well. Gwen grabbed the items out of the bag she brought and handed it to Max.

“I have to get back to the camp now. Can’t leave it alone with the quartermaster for too long or he might kill someone. I’ll come back tomorrow and you have David’s phone in case of emergencies.”

“Uh-uh. See ya tomorrow then!”

Gwen waved and then headed out. Max spent a while working on the card for David. He wanted to let David know he cared but he didn’t want it to sound stupid. When he set it on David’s lap. It had a drawing of David, Gwen and himself together on the front and the inside read, **You need to get better so we can do another stupid family thing.**

 

* * *

 

 

To Max and David, the week it took for David to get released took forever. David had been moved to a general room after his 3rd day in the hospital. Max had gotten bored being stuck there all day but refused to leave David’s side for longer than an hour. He had taken to pranking some of the nurses and David or Gwen had to apologize profusely every time it happened. Finally, David was released from the hospital on the condition he stays in the wheelchair and rest for the next couple months.

When David’s car pulled up to the camp that evening, he was touched to see the campers were all standing outside waiting for him. There was a banner hanging in the Mess Hall saying ‘Welcome Back!’ that was slightly misspelled and drowned in glitter. Max pulled out the wheelchair from the trunk and Gwen opened the passenger door for him.

“Hiya everyone! What a wonderful surprise! I think this is the best camp greeting I’ve ever received!”

Gwen wheeled David into the Mess Hall.

“Now I know last week during the storm you wanted to have us all watch a movie and camp out in here. We decided we would do that today as a welcome back celebration!”

Dolph and Nurf pulled out the projector, Preston set up the screen, and Ered, Neil, and Nerris grabbed some snacks from the kitchen. Max grabbed a blanket from David’s room while the remaining campers set up blankets and sleeping bags on the floor. Max threw the blanket over David’s shoulders and climbed into his lap. He was still a bit clingy from the incident, but nobody blamed for acting so strangely. It reassured him that David was alive and well. David wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and the end’s together in front of him to cover Max as well. He rested his head on top of Max’s and grinned when the movie was Disney’s Oliver and Company.

Everyone had fun watching together and laughing at David when he cried multiple times during the movie. Max called him a wimp and David would laugh and hug him in response. After the movie was over, everyone got ready for bed. The quartermaster had brought his mattress into the room so that David wouldn’t injure himself further. The kids all said goodnight and had fallen asleep in places as close to David as possible. Nikki was asleep at the foot of his bed, curled up like a wolf in her sleeping bag. Max had fallen asleep curled up in the middle of the bed. David was almost asleep when he felt the bed dip on the opposite edge. He opened his eyes and was amazed to see Gwen getting comfortable. David sent her a confused look, so as not to wake the campers, and turned beet red when Gwen leaned forward and kissed him. Gwen affectionately rolled her eyes when David gave her the starriest-eyed smiled ever. The two turned to face Max and cuddled as him as they fell asleep.


End file.
